BLIZZARDS TO SWEEP BRITAIN
Coldest weather for 27 years and Storm Emma is on the way
FORECASTERS warned of the coldest blast in 27 years yesterday as Storm Emma moved across the Atlantic towards the UK.
Temperatures will plunge to -15C (5F) in parts over the coming nights with widespread lows of between -4C and -10C.
Nationwide snowfall is forecast from today with many regions likely to be under a foot of the white stuff by Friday.
Wintry downpours will be driven by a storm poised to tear in from the South-west on Thursday, whipping up blizzards and causing deep snowdrifts.
The powerful low-pressure system was yesterday named Emma by the Portuguese Meteorological Service.
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: “There will be very strong winds on Thursday and there is the potential for freezing rain and ice.
“Heavy snow is forecast through the week, with strong winds bringing blizzard conditions
...it’s so cold even the sea has frozen!
and leading to drifting. The Portuguese Meteorological Service has named Storm Emma, so the Met Office will adopt that name instead of issuing one from the UK series.”
Yesterday the so-called Beast from the East roared in from Siberia, unleashing wintry showers across the south of Britain and across Europe.
Sub-zero temperatures caused the sea shallows to freeze at the Somerset holiday resort of Weston-super-Mare.
BBC weather presenter Ian Fergusson said the fringes of the sea iced over, adding: “It’s been quite a number of years since we last saw this sort of phenomenon on Bristol Channel coasts.”
Some railway operators last night warned commuters to get home by early evening amid forecasts for severe and disruptive snowfall.
Greater Anglia said trains would stop running at 10pm with a limited service over the next few days.
Dangerous
Snow warnings were extended into the Midlands, Scotland and Wales for this morning.
Government forecasters have issued a raft of severe weather alerts amid warnings of the coldest winter snap since 1991.
The Met Office with Public Health England (PHE) extended a level-3 “cold weather action” alert into the weekend.
And the nation is on standby for travel mayhem, power cuts, loss of mobile phone coverage and disruption to public services.
Met Office chief forecaster Frank Saunders, said: “Parts of England and Wales are likely to see their coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991.
“This could lead to dangerous conditions on roads and pavements and have an impact on people’s health.”
“There is the potential for disruptive snowfall in many parts of the United Kingdom throughout the week and transport disruption is likely in areas with significant snowfall.”
He warned six to 10 inches of snow are likely across Scotland with as much as 16 inches expected in some spots.
Temperatures on Thursday could be among the lowest ever recorded with the mercury unlikely to lift above -5C in parts.
This would bring the lowest daytime maximum temperature in archives for March going back to 1910, beating the -4.6C set in 2001.
Mr Burkill added: “Temperatures in parts of the country may not rise above -4.6C on Thursday or they could stay even lower. If this happens we could beat that particular record.
“We expect to see temperatures this week dropping to between -10C and -15C overnight in the coldest regions and widely below freezing.”
A raft of records are under threat as the nation hunkers down for a fierce cold snap.
The last time thermometers dropped below -15C was in February 2012 when temperatures hit -15.6C at Holbeach, Lincolnshire.
Campaigners have urged the
elderly and vulnerable to take extra care amid warnings for dangerously cold conditions.
Dr Thomas Waite, of PHE’s Extreme Events team, said: “With many places facing severe weather it’s really important people do what they need to stay warm.
“Cold temperatures inside and out can make you ill and even kill. Remember that staying warm helps keep you healthy.”
Malcolm Booth, chief executive of the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners, added: “We are advising people to stock up and avoid going out during the worst conditions.”
He added: “It is essential we all do our bit to avoid another set of horrendous excess winter deaths, this means keeping an eye on friends and family and offering to help where possible.”
The Society for Acute Medicine, which represents hospital staff in acute medical units, warned the weather threatens to stretch NHS workers to the limit.
President Nick Scriven said: “If this weather turns out to be as bad as is predicted staff are really going to struggle.
“Doctors and nurses are already pushed to their limits and with staff shortages and hospitals already full, the pressure on them this week is going to escalate.”
Holidaymakers were last night stranded at airports in the Canary Islands after flights were disrupted by a weekend storm. More than 70 flights were affected when the resort was hit by powerful winds and heavy rain on Sunday.